Kilmarnock 1, Motherwell 2

Match Date: Saturday, February 3 2001
Competition: Premier League
Attendance: 6,018

Motherwell Team:

Goram, Corrigan, Ouiefio, Brannan, Strong, McMillan, Townsley, Leitch (Hammell), Adams (Lasley), Spencer (Twaddle), McMulloch .
Subs not used: Woods, Nicholas.

Motherwell scorers: Brannan (29 pen), Twaddle (83).

LUCK AT LAST AS WELL GO SIXTH

Kilmarnock  1     Motherwell  2

MOTHERWELL AT LONG LAST GOT THE Crucial breaks which undoubtedly aided the win to raise them into sixth place in the league. Referee Underhill, abysmal as ever, gave the 'Well a penalty and brushed away two home claims as the Fir Parkers ran out winners.

An early yellow card should have been the game's first incident of note after Baker made a scything tackle on Marytn Corrigan wide left but Underhill waved play on. There was a close call soon after for the home side when McMillan's cross was caught by Marshall who had strayed over the by-line, the linesman coming to his rescue by raising a flag against Lee McCulloch who was by no means off-side. Del Townsley then sent a great ball into Spencer's path but it took the combined efforts of Dindeleux and Innes to stop him having a pop at goals. Kilmarnock's first real move up the park saw them gain a corner when McLaren's cross was deflected wide. The ball looked to have been gathered by Goram but a corner was given although Brannan sent it way downfield. Strong then picked up possession and via Spencer he found Adams who was brought to the ground by a late Holt challenge. Stevie McMillan curled one in and whilst on target found the waiting arms of Marshall.

A quick kick from hands found McLaren and he was denied a dangerous cross by Strong at the expense of a corner. Dindeleux met the ball but Goram dealt easily with the header. A minute later Goram was fortunate to see a clearance batter off Dargo and run harmlessly to the side of goals. An attempted clearance by McMillan soon after wasn't quite so luckily placed and a corner ensued. MacPherson skewed a shot wide though it almost fell to Dargo as it ran past. Action swung to the other end where a poor punt away by Baker fell to Leitch whose shot went wide from the edge of the box. John Spencer had a good run brought to a halt as he was sandwiched by Dindeleux and Innes though for some reason Referee Underhill waved play on.

A stamp by McLaren on Leitch was ignored but not so the late tackle from Leitch on McLaren soon after, a yellow card being produced. McLaren picked himself up to test Goram after holding off the attentions of Oueifio but the Goalie held easily. Just before the half-hour Motherwell took the lead in somewhat controversial circumstances. Usually situations like it go the way of the opposition but for once it went Motherwell's way. McCulloch and Dindeleux chased a ball upfield to the edge of the box and as Marshall approached the Motherwell striker appeared to nudge Dindeleux towards Marshall. The two collided allowing the ball to run towards goal but as the Frenchman fell he brought McCulloch down, albeit accidentally. Underhill waved play on but eventually consulted the Linesman who indicated a pull on the jersey of McCulloch had taken place. There were strangely few complaints from the home players and even fewer from Ged Brannan as he strode up to execute the perfect spot-kick and put Motherwell on the road to victory.

It was almost two just a minute later when McCulloch raced down the wing and delivered a perfect cross for Townsley. Unfortunately the big winger mis-timed his run and sent a header wide when it really should have crashed into the net. Kilmarnock were looking somewhat ragged at the back at this point and another break saw McMillan send McCulloch wide but this time the cross was as bad as the previous good. The home side then managed to get an effort in on goals but McLaren's cross for Dargo was directed wide. Holt then met Hay's cross after the latter had got the break out wide but again the header was well past.

McPherson of Kilmarnock was a lucky man not to be booked or even sent off after he aimed a kick at Adams as the two clashed. Motherwell were up in arms when a brilliant ball by Brannan sent McMillan clear on goals only for the far side Linesman to wrongly flag offside. Just before the break a Strong clearance fell to McLaren but the ball is probably still being searched for.

Half-Time     Kilmarnock  0     Motherwell  1

Motherwell almost doubled the lead right after the break when Townsley's hook forward saw McCulloch race past Dindeleux but the ball ran just out of play. Baker took the ball upfield for the home side and it was an important header from Brannan which prevented a chance falling to Dargo. As the ball ran loose Corrigan was caught late again by McLaren but once more he escaped any punishment. Lee McCulloch then passed up a great chance to put Kilmarnock under real pressure when, running onto a blocked clearance, his cross was poor to say the least. Kilmarnock broke forward with Canero running right to the 18-yard box on McLaren's pass but Strong was there to block the ball for a corner. Townsley gathered the ball as it came upfield shortly afterwards and he sent it on towards McCulloch but again Dindeleux was on hand to cut out the danger.

Kilmarnock were awarded a free-kick when Adams brought down McPherson near the box. McCulloch met the ball and his clearance was completed with the help of Brannan. Motherwell then made a change with Leitch making way for Hammel. It took a good block by Goram to deny Dargo after he had run clear on McLaren's ball upfield. As the corner came in Adams nudged Canero who fell as if in receipt of a missile with the Motherwell man completing the clearance. On the hour mark Derek Townsley was booked for a late tackle on Hay. The free kick fell for Dargo and although he turned Oueifio he shot well over the bar. Kilmarnock did however win another corner when Strong failed to keep Brannan's clearance in play. There were more claims for a penalty as Dindeleux fell over but play continued.

It was beginning to look as if the Referee was now reacting to the roars of the home support by giving most 50-50 decisions in favour of Kilmarnock and as if to underline the point the Rugby Park outfit gained a corner when it looked as if McLaren had run the ball behind. Dargo's header smacked off Holt but again the corner was given. Motherwell then had a claim for a penalty denied when Baker looked to have handled inside the box. Although Kilmarnock were enjoying more possession Motherwell were still looking threatening on the break. McMillan chipped forward into McCulloch's path and he fired in a shot from the edge of the box which raced inches past. Derek Townsley was then punished for what looked like a fair shoulder-charge on Dargo but Brannan easily mopped up the free kick.

A rash tackle by McPherson had Townsley down but play was waved on until Dindeleux had been dispossessed by McCulloch in what looked to have been a fair challenge. Dineleux recovered to bring down Townsley and must have been amazed as play continued. The home side, and Jim Traynor, were convinced that the whole world were against them with sixteen minutes to go when another claim for a penalty was waved away. Dargo raced into the box but Brannan, who had kept pace, slid in to connect with the ball and it ran into Goram's hands. The Motherwell sweeper definitely made contact with the ball though "Journalist" Traynor later all but called for the lynching of Referee Underhill.

Both sides made changes with the home team bringing on Fowler for Hay whilst Motherwell took off Spencer and replaced him with Twaddle, and soon after Kilmarnock replaced Dindeleux with Cocard. With ten minutes to go Andy Goram made a trademark save to stop the home side going level. Fowler met McLaren's cross and the header was goal-bound until the intervention of the Goalie who turned the ball behind. Kilmarnock made their last throw of the dice by taking Canero off in place of Wright. Motherwell, however, were not content to sit on the one-goal advantage. Hammel sent Twaddle clear and his cross was deflected behind by McPherson, the ball running just beyond McCulloch. Big Del Townsley challenged Marshall who ended up in the net with the ball but a foul was given.

However, the next time the ball was in the net, just a minute later, the goal stood. And what a finish it was. The quick-thinking Townsley hooked the ball over his head for Twaddle to run on to and shaking off the attempts of Baker to foul him he sprinted to the edge of the box and on the angle clipped the ball beyond Marshall and into the net. Kilmarnock tried to hit back but Goram was there to collect a dangerous deep Fowler cross. Motherwell took off the hard-working Adams to give Keith Lasley a run out as time ticked away.

McLaren made the by-line and sent in a ball which Cocard met but the ball was sent running away towards Ayr Town Centre. With almost the last kick of the ball, however, the home side gained a consolation goal much down to carelessness in the visiting defence. McLaren was able to pick out the unmarked Dargo at the back post and he produced a tidy finish. That was that, however, and Motherwell climbed to sixth place.

Full-time     Kilmarnock  1     Motherwell  2

Match Report by Ricky Mullen (rmullen@motherwell.co.uk)

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